Russ Roberts–site administrator

Retired news director for Pacific Radio Group (Hawaii Island). Retired Lt. Col, USAF Reserve. I'm a FCC licensed Amateur Radio Operator, holding the Extra Class Amateur Radio License (KH6JRM). I'm also a substitute teacher for the state of Hawaii Department of Education.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission signed off on the pending $4.3 billion sale of Hawaiian Electric Company to Florida-based NextEra Energy, sending the fight to the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission.

CBRE Group Inc., the parent company of CBRE Hawaii Inc., is buying the Global WorkPlace Solutions unit of Johnson Controls Inc. for about $1.48 billion in cash, a move that will add facilities management to the commercial real estate firm’s corporate-services business. Bloomberg reports John Murphy, president of the Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI) Global WorkPl […]

Construction crews were blocked from reaching the site of the $1.3 billion Thirty Meter Telescope by a group of 50 protesters who formed a roadblock outside the visitor center atop Hawaii’s Mauna Kea volcano. The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reports about 15 vehicles transporting construction workers blocked from reaching the site on Monday waited for eight hours b […]

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs is seeking short-term uses for several parcels in Kakaako Makai, where the agency acquired some 30 acres three years ago from the state of Hawaii in a deal meant to resolve a decades-long dispute. Peter Apo, a trustee for OHA, told attendees at a recent Hawaii Society of Business Professionals event in Honolulu that it is looki […]

The Nisei Veterans Memorial Center board of directors has announced the honoring of Hiroshi Arisumi as president emeritus and Leonard Oka as director emeritus in recognition of their many years of service and commitment.

Maui Economic Development Board is seeking entrepreneurs to participate in this year's Startup Weekend Maui. Scheduled for May 15-17, this event will provide active entrepreneurs with an opportunity to learn how to launch a company in 54 hours.

Volunteers are sought for a service project in Haleakala Crater with the Friends of Haleakala National Park April 18-20. The group will hike into the crater, stay free in Holua Cabin and work on protection of native plants.

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (Reuters) - The United States said it was prepared to work past a midnight deadline into Wednesday if progress was being made towards clinching a preliminary nuclear deal between Iran and global powers.

(Reuters) - A U.S. bankruptcy judge on Tuesday said he will approve a plan by RadioShack Corp to sell 1,740 of its stores to the Standard General hedge fund, which plans to operate most of them in conjunction with Sprint Corp .

ABUJA (Reuters) - Three decades after seizing power in a military coup, Muhammadu Buhari became the first Nigerian to oust a president through the ballot box, putting him in charge of Africa's biggest economy and one of its most turbulent democracies.

ADEN (Reuters) - Saudi troops clashed with Yemeni Houthi fighters on Tuesday in the heaviest exchange of cross-border fire since the start of a Saudi-led air offensive last week, while Yemen's foreign minister called for a rapid Arab intervention on the ground.

Feedly.com news feed

Captain Sean Sommers accused of talking with the media about the Hawaii County Fire Chief.

Source: West Hawaii Today.

Reporter: Nancy Cook Lauer.

West Hawaii Fire Captain Sean Sommers is under investigation by Hawaii Department Chief Darren Rosario for criticizing the department’s management philosophy in public. Rosario sent a letter to Sommers telling him he was being investigated because he "violated the department’s rules when he discussed it and the fire chief in a March 19 interview on Hawaii News Now." Rosario claimed that Sommers violated a regulation stating, "no member shall publicly criticize or ridicule the department, its policies or the members…when such action tends to impair the good order or efficiency of the department, interferes with the ability of officers to maintain discipline or it’s made with reckless disregard for truth or falsity." Honolulu attorney Jeff Portnoy, who specializes in First Amendment issues, told reporter Lauer that the "rules go too far….government employees do not lose their First Amendment rights to speak out about what they believe is wrongdoing they believe is not being appropriately handled by those in authority." Aloha, Russ.

Construction at the site of the Thirty Meter Telescope has stopped following a protest by more than 50 demonstrators outside of the Mauna Kea Visitor Center. Activists called the telescope a "desecration of the mountain" and marched "back and forth" across the Mauna Kea Access Road, blocking access to the upper slopes of the mountain. Protesters allowed visitors and other telescope operators through the picket line. Protesters also disrupted a groundbreaking ceremony at the site in October 2014. Protesters told reporter Tom Callis that promised jobs and funding didn’t justify the project. Protesters said part of their mission was to educate visitors, who "mostly looked on with curiosity, about the mountain’s sacredness and cultural importance." A group of state conservation officers and Hawaii County police monitored the activity, with Police Captain Richard Sherlock saying their focus "was on making sure people stayed safe." The Thirty Meter Telescope has gained the necessary approvals to begin work on the facility, which achieve first light in 2014. Ruth Aiona of Kailua-Kona said her group was "standing up for their ancestors and the mountain’s sacred status." Aloha, Russ.

Some more background information on Mayor Billy Kenoi’s illegal use of a county credit card at a Korean hostess bar in Honolulu. Kenoi says he repaid the county for using the card incorrectly. The incident occurred in 2013 and only recently came to light. Aloha, Russ.

Like this:

Hawaii Island police arrested 21 motorists for driving under the influence of an intoxicant from March 23 through Sunday. Five of the drivers were involved in traffic crashes. Five were younger than 21.

The U.S. Coast Guard is looking for the owner of a partially submerged blue kayak seen off the coast of Molokai on Sunday. The kayak was found adrift about 12 miles southwest of Molokai’s Laau Point. The Coast Guard searched the area for about 3 hours and found nothing. There have been no reports of missing persons or boats in the area. Aloha, Russ.

Under intense pressure from community groups and the state of Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, The Hawaii Electric Company is making good progress in reducing the backlog of rooftop solar installation permits on Maui and the rest of the Hawaiian Islands. HEI said delays were necessary because of safety issues associated with hooking PV systems to the electrical grid. Aloha, Russ.

The Coast Guard is seeking the public’s help in identifying the owner of an adrift kayak located approximately 12 miles southwest of La’au Point, Molokai, Sunday. Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Honolulu Command Center received notification from a Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew of an adrift, partially submerged 12-foot blue kayak. There ar […]

The County is pleased to announce the launch of punatraffic.com, a publicly available web based traffic monitoring service for the lower Puna to Kea`au area. Traffic conditions along several transportation corridors that may be affected by the June 27th Lava Flow, including HWY 130, will be monitored with thirty cameras. The images are available for […]

Hawaiʻi Island police are searching for a 17-year-old Hilo girl who was reported missing. Makaala Pea was last seen in Hilo on February 15. She is described as Hawaiian, 5-foot-6, 130 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. Police ask anyone with information on her whereabouts to call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311. […]

TripAdvisor.com, the world’s largest travel site, has ranked Waikoloa Beach Resort as 7th on its list of “Top U.S. Destinations for Vacation Rental Stays.” Based on TripAdvisor reviews, the luxury Kohala Coast resort bested Las Vegas, Nevada and two other Hawaii destinations. Along with the Top 10 list, TripAdvisor also published results of its recent […] […]

Hawaii – A timelapse film of Mark Twain's favorite islands from Matt Johnson @ WhoIsMatt.com on Vimeo. “Hawaii: No alien land in all the world has any deep strong charm for me but that one, no other land could so longingly and so beseechingly haunt me, sleeping and waking, through half a lifetime, as that […]

In a written statement, the Thirty Meter Telescope project manager responds to today's blockade of the Mauna Kea Access Road, saying construction crews "patiently waited for law enforcement to allow our workers the access to which they are entitled".

The County of Hawai‘i invites the public to two special holiday events this year – the fourth annual Magic Of The Season open house at the Hawai‘i County Building in Hilo, and the inaugural A Holiday Family Affair at the West Hawai‘i Civic Center in Kona. Hilo’s Magic Of The Season will run weeknights December […]

A second supplementary proclamation pertaining to the declared state of emergency in Puna was issued today by Mayor Billy Kenoi. A PDF of the signed proclamation is available here. SECOND SUPPLEMENTARY PROCLAMATION WHEREAS, Act 111 of the 2014 Hawai‘i State Legislature, provides for the establishment of County organizations for emergency management and dis […]

The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has released a new report outlining a number of threats to America, and how military technology can be harnessed to counteract them. The report, “Breakthrough Technologies for National Security,” looked at the agency’s priorities for dealing with challenges, including the spread of more powerful tec […]

A New Type of Dyson Sphere May Be Nearly Impossible to Detect. ——————————————- Please click on link to view the complete story and to see some illuminating illustrations of the Dyson Sphere concept. Source: http://www.gizmodo.com. 28 March 2015 Reporter: Maddie Stone. Over 50 years ago, physicist Freeman Dyson suggested that our inability to detect life … […]

‘Imiloa Adds New Scheduled Planetarium Show Source: http://www.bigislandnow.com./Hawaii Tribune-Herald/James Grenz (Community Coordinator for the ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo, Hawaii). ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center will premiere its new full dome planetarium experience on April 1 called “Starstruck.” Posted on March 26, 2015 by Big Island Now Staff A new […]